New Dodge Challenger burns up pavement

I was first in line at the light on southbound Chavez Drive at Fifth Street in Flint, when I realized I was staring at empty pavement and a 70-mph speed limit on the entrance ramp to I-475.

The light turned green and I stomped on the gas, a plume of smoke churning up behind this 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T and the tires squealing in search of traction. Within a blink, I was doing 75 mph and the cars that were immediately behind and next to me were mere dots in the rearview mirror.

But as I made my getaway, I realized that this had taken place around the corner from the Flint Police Department. I quickly readied my explanation -- "err, sorry officer, but my foot hung up on the carpet" -- as I scanned the mirror for flashing blue and red lights. Must have been my lucky day because the local constabulary were apparently on their doughnut break.

Such shenanigans are hard to resist with a lusty 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 underfoot.
It's instances like this when the Challenger shines the brightest.

And shine it does. With the big motor crammed under the Challenger's long hood, it's easy for many from the baby boomer generation to be transported back to 1970 when the original Challenger was in its heyday. In fact, that is the feeling Dodge wants to evoke with this two-door plaything. A colleague took a look at it on the way into the office and remarked that it looked sort of retro. "Was that on purpose?" she wondered. Absolutely. And thanks for noticing.

The car generated long stares from workers at tollbooths, truckers in the next lane. Another co-worker gushed "That car is the bomb!" as I climbed in one day. Yes, the Challenger makes onlookers weak-kneed. But here's my issue with it. The Camaro. Chevrolet's just-released 2010 Camaro also has that late '60s retro look, but it's updated with a 21st century vibe that is modern at the same time.

Flint Journal extrasHow it rated
(1-5 stars, 5 being best)

Performance 4
Interior 3
Handling 3
Styling 4
Overall 4

• Good: Delightful V-8 will make you feel like a kid again.

• Bad: Exhaust drone at part throttle, some interior quirks.

• Bottom line: It's 1970 all over again, and Dodge wants to help you relive your youth.

• Base price: $22,545 (including destination)

• Price as tested: $37,095

• Powertrain: Five-speed automatic transmission, rear-wheel drive

• Engine: 5.7-liter V-8

• Horsepower: 372

• Curb weight: 4,041 pounds

• MPG: 16 city, 25 highway

• Built: Brampton, Ontario

While the new Challenger has a look that is reminiscent of the original, underneath it's a modern car, with an up-to-date suspension design, modern tires and all of the comforts buyers expect these days.

Unfortunately, Dodge didn't carry the nostalgia theme into the interior. It doesn't have the vintage look that the designers gave the exterior. The materials are mostly good and it's well put together, but it misses an opportunity to further sell the nostalgia.

It rides shockingly well for a car of this ilk. At first, I thought Dodge may have gone a little soft, but I found it willing and able to handle slithery pavement and the steering inspired confidence at least up to freeway speeds. Unfortunately, at any speed above 65 mph, the wide tires tend to follow grooves in the pavement, requiring two hands on the steering wheel most of the time.

The Hemi is a surprisingly sophisticated piece. It has cylinder deactivation to reduce fuel consumption when cruising and even variable cam timing. It's rated at 16 mpg city and 25 highway. We saw about 18 in a combination of rural and freeway trips and 22 traveling freeways exclusively.

Yes, there are some complaints. While the back seats are reasonably comfortable for one if the front-seat passenger is willing to give up a little legroom, the trio of belts suggesting that three people could sit back there is laughable.
Accessing the space behind the seats is cumbersome. There is no way to quickly fold the power driver's side seat if you want to toss a bag back there. The manually adjusted passenger seat doesn't tilt forward enough and is balky to move forward.

The gear shift, which has a manual-shift function, is too far back on the center console and there are no steering wheel shift paddles or buttons.

While the exhaust has a wonderfully deep baritone under acceleration, it emits some strange sounds at part throttle. The exhaust causes strange changes in pitch at smaller throttle openings such as when using cruise control on the expressway.

Besides the 5.7-liter Hemi, the Challenger is offered with a 250-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 or a 6.1-liter, 425-horsepower V-8 in the SRT8 hot rod edition. Prices start at $22,545 for a base six cylinder, including destination. The R/T starts at $30,545 and as tested here, it spins the cash register to the tune of $37,095.

The V-6 comes with a four-speed automatic. V-8 Challengers get five-speed automatics. A six-speed manual is a $995 option with the V-8s.

The Challenger will help a lot of people deal with that middle age crisis. Just take a good look around before you decide to smoke the tires at a light.

Bryan Laviolette is a Journal page designer. He writes local auto reviews.